


It always comes around, back to you

by anisstaranise



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, New York City, Unseen Providence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-15
Updated: 2016-02-15
Packaged: 2018-05-20 17:46:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6019354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anisstaranise/pseuds/anisstaranise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Today was like any other day-</p><p>But for two people; one in a fancy loft in Manhattan, the other in a shoebox apartment across the East River, today held a certain significance; it was a day that was regarded with an ache in the recesses of their hearts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It always comes around, back to you

**Author's Note:**

> Written for **Seblaintine's Day**
> 
> Inspired by Pixar shorts " _Paperman_ and _The Blue Umbrella_
> 
> Title from **John Mayer** 's _Back to You_

“So, I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you.”

Paulo Coelho

.

The city was painted grey, dreary like the snow clouds congregating above. The air was heavy with the promise of snowfall, the frigid cold leaving windows of homes and storefronts frost-kissed.

Far below, the world was draped in a quilt of white, courtesy of flurries from the night before. Despite the glum weather, there was an ethereal glow where the rare morning sun rays bounced off the snow.

Today was like any other day- the sun rose along with the city, the occasional winter passerines darted through the sky, the man bundled up in three layers of clothing served a line of customers out of his coffee truck and cars honked their urgency to reach their destinations on time.

But for two people; one in a fancy loft in Manhattan, the other in a shoebox apartment across the East River, today held a certain significance; it was a day that was regarded with an ache in the recesses of their hearts.

A radio clock in Brooklyn blinked its digits lazily, today’s date emblazoned alongside it as Blaine Anderson laid in bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind heavy with thoughts of “what ifs”.

Similarly in Manhattan, Sebastian Smythe sat in bed, his hands worrying the sheets that covered his knees, his mind fraught with “should have, would have, could haves” and the weight of today’s date.

February fourteenth.

A year ago today, a decision was made; two hearts bled as their feet carried them away from each other.

One year.

One year since a petty argument blew up due to Sebastian Smythe’s stubbornness and Blaine Anderson’s flair of making mountains out of molehills.

One year since they claimed to not love each other the way they used to; a lie so absurd and nonsensical it reverberated to the core of the Universe.

By the Universe’s design, Sebastian and Blaine were soulmates; their lives intertwined, their love written in the stars. And by this design, they had met rather serendipitously five years ago. Since then, they had built a friendship that later became something more, something... epic.

But the Universe could only do so much. Soulmates or not, every relationship needed hard work to sail smoothly. It took understanding and respect and meeting each other halfway. There were times that doing so would be difficult- but every effort would have been worth it, as it was with all things that mattered.

Alas, even soulmates weren’t impervious to insecurities and self-doubt and all the flaws that made them human. And one year ago, they had lost sight of who they were and what they meant to one another; everything had ripped at the seam and fell apart.

Despite it all, Sebastian and Blaine still loved each other ardently. How could they not? Their souls were bound in every way possible, their heartbeats a rhythm only they could dance to.

And when you loved as fiercely as they did, sometimes the Universe would give you a hand, conspiring to help you find your way back to each other.

.

It began that sombre morning in Brooklyn when Blaine Anderson, who, despite his best efforts, was running late for an important meeting. He needed to make the seven o’clock train if he wanted to be on time but his need for morning coffee was far greater than the face to face he had scheduled with his thesis advisor. Besides, no meeting would be fruitful if he didn’t get caffeine flowing in his veins, he decided.

As his feet hastily carried him to the site of his favourite coffee truck, his trusted Chuck Taylor’s crunching the snow blanketing the sidewalk, Blaine was pleasantly surprised at the lack of the usual snaking line of customers. “The Powers That Be must be lookin’ out for you, kid,” Armando, the coffee truck owner said before he bid his farewell and walked towards the subway station, a steaming cup of latte in hand and the widest grin on his face.

“Yeah, must be,” Blaine quietly thought, effusively enthusiastic about making the train and meeting on time.

.

Meanwhile-

.

The spacious Manhattan loft echoed with the frustrated groan of one Sebastian Smythe as he hung up with the second car company to decline their services that morning due to the austere weather and road conditions.

“The Universe hates me,” he grumbled under his breath as he slung his messenger bag across his chest. With or without the car company’s aid, Sebastian needed to meet his father for breakfast across town.

And so he added two more layers of winter clothing for good measure and marched out of his loft in long, disgruntled strides, braving the weather as he headed to the nearest subway station.

.

The train glided out of the underground tunnel and surfaced above the white-coated city. Despite the overcast skies and slush covering the streets, Blaine took in the sights fast passing by out the window in awe. It was difficult not to love New York- whatever the weather.

A quiet giggle from several seats down the subway car stole his attention; it was a couple standing in the nook by the door. The man towered over the woman significantly, causing the woman to really tilt her head back just to gaze up at him. Something familiar stirred in Blaine’s chest at the sight of the couple- and it ached.

He watched the man remove his coat and drape it over the woman’s petit frame. She was shivering slightly. The coat seemed a size or two too big on her and the garment looked like it was about to swallow her whole.

A pained smile curled upon his lips; the couple reminded him a lot of the way things used to be with Sebastian. The way his arms would disappear in the ridiculously long sleeves of Sebastian’s dress shirts- the ones he loved to steal and wear after they made love. The way he would circle his arms around Sebastian’s waist and rest his chin on the taller man’s chest while Sebastian rested his atop of his head.

He had been happiest with Sebastian but he had walked away from it all a year ago. Since then, many nights were spent trying to remember the reason for leaving behind his love, his home- but try as he might, he couldn’t find any. The only conclusion he came to- over and over- was that he had been foolish, selfish.

Blaine tore his gaze away from the couple, his heart hung heavy with regret. He returned his sights to the snow white world beyond the windows, endlessly questioning what he would have done differently if he could turn back time.

Perhaps, if given the chance, he would swallow his pride and said the two words he knew could have salvaged what they were, what they had; _I’m sorry_.

.

The soles of Sebastian’s shoes squeaked against the tiled staircase as he descended to the train platform. He breathed a sigh of relief when the schedule board displayed that the next train was due to arrive in less than a minute, thrilled that he didn’t need to spend more time than was necessary in the sordid clutches of New York City’s public transportation system. Perhaps the Universe didn’t hate him after all, he thought.

Amidst the murmurs of the gathering commuters, Sebastian heard the strumming of a guitar accompanied by the jingling of a tambourine, the notes to the song pleasantly familiar.

_Think of what I’m saying  
We can work it out and get it straight or say good night_

He followed the words he knew by heart down the platform to where a busker was belting out the song; Blaine’s favourite song.

His thoughts drifted to a simpler, happier time when he would spend lazy Sundays in Blaine’s arms as the man he loved set in vinyl after vinyl of The Beatles’ records, humming every chord and singing every word, paying special attention to ‘We Can Work It Out’.

Sebastian felt a twinge in his chest, the weight of memories a year ago compressing down on him.

If he were brave, he would admit to the world- more so to himself- that he missed Blaine, that even after a year apart, he was still desperately in love with him.

But he wasn’t brave.

If he had been, he would have prevented the love of his life from leaving that night a year ago.

Just then, the Northbound train pulled up at the platform as the screeching brakes slowly pulled him out of his wallowing. Sebastian set out to board the train car along with the morning crowd, soles trudging heavily- as heavy as his heart felt, when a mother carrying her sleeping toddler walked by. As she passed, a white lovey fell from the child’s sleepy grip, meandering idly onto Sebastian’s foot like a snowflake drifting from the sky.

Instinctively, he picked up the lovey; a tiny blanket attached to a tiny polar bear plush, its seams slightly frayed. His eyes scanned for the mother and child amidst the sea of people, adamant to return the beloved item to them; no child should suffer through losing their dearest comfort toy.

Sebastian spotted the mother and child just as the Southbound train arrived, opening its doors to spill more commuters out onto the platform. He hastily called out to the mother but his calls were swallowed by the crowd and the busker’s melodies. He watched them board the Southbound train as he manoeuvred his way through the masses, clutching the lovey tightly in his hand.

“Your daughter dropped this,” Sebastian said, slightly out of breath when he caught up with the mother aboard the train.

The mother elatedly took her daughter’s lovey, gratitude shining brightly on her face but her _Thank yous_ were lost between them as Sebastian tried desperately to avoid getting walled in by the commuters climbing into the train car.

But it was too late. The doors slid closed and the train started moving south, taking Sebastian in the wrong direction.

.

The train swayed raggedly as it continued its journey into the city, picking up more and more passengers on its way. Always the gentleman, Blaine had given up his seat for a pregnant lady with a gracious smile.

He stood by the door, one hand hanging on to the strap above while the other clutched a folder containing the hardcopy of his thesis draft in a death grip. This was his final semester of grad school and he was anxious for this meeting with his advisor to go well.

The view of the dreary New York morning disappeared when the train slid back into the underground tunnel, the car suddenly too bright with the fluorescent lights. Blaine fidgeted with the black-grey striped bowtie around his neck- something he did out of habit and checked the time as the train approached a station; two more stops and still plenty of time to spare, he thought jovially.

As the doors opened, a handful of people started filing out of the train car, eager to get to where they needed to be. One man marched past so urgently that he bumped into Blaine, knocking his folder onto the floor.

At that moment, a draft gusted through the opened doors and blew most of Blaine’s documents out of the folder, dispersing it in every which way across the platform.

“No, no, no,” he cried in panic as he dashed out of the train car and started chasing after the loose papers frantically, scampering every which way as passersby looked on amused.

While he was busy gathering the documents he had slaved over for the past two years, the Northbound train closed its doors and rattled off without him.

.

Meanwhile-

.

Sebastian incessantly tapped his foot on the grimy car floor, as though the act could make the train move along faster. He really needed to get on the Northbound train if he was to make his breakfast date with his father on time, cringing at the prospect of arriving late; the elder Smythe despised tardiness.

Just then, the train slowed to a stop as it approached a station. And to his relief, the Northbound had just arrived, too.

“Thank you, Universe,” he breathed when the doors slid opened, his feet flying out onto the platform.

Suddenly, something smacked him across his face, covering its entirety and obstructing his vision. Panicked, he clawed at the thing masking him- a piece of paper, he deduced- but to no avail. The document was stubbornly pasted on his face.

Amidst his struggles, Sebastian heard the Northbound train’s doors closing, leaving the station.

The Universe hates me, he thought.

.

The papers rustled in his arms as he continued to pick up the documents scattered on the platform, his breathing ragged due to equal parts of exertion and panic. Luckily, Blaine had managed to collect all of the fallen pieces- save for one.

Just as he was about to reach for the final piece, another gust of draft blew it away. Blaine watched it fly and drift through the air before it landed right smack in the face of a man who had just stepped off the Southbound train.

“I’m so sorry,” he said, approaching the man who was trying to tear the paper away.

.

“I’m so sorry,” a voice said somewhere ahead of him.

Sebastian froze, his breathing hitching as his nostrils filled with the scent of paper and ink.

That voice. He would know it anywhere.

Slowly, he peeled the paper off his face, the sheet surprisingly coming off without any difficulty now.

.

Blaine watched the man’s hands stilled a moment before he slowly- almost cautiously- peeled the piece of paper away.

Behind the paper, a face came into view.

Instantly, all the papers Blaine had meticulously collected spilled onto the platform once again.

.

Above ground, snow started to fall, thick and fast- the sky’s own meteorological confetti. It was as though it fell in celebration of two hearts colliding in an underground station somewhere in between Manhattan and Brooklyn; two halves of a soul meeting half way.

Sebastian and Blaine stood alone on the platform, the floor littered with fallen paper- forgotten- while the rest of the world disappeared in trains bound in opposite directions.

They stood there in silence, mesmerized.

_The Universe doesn’t hate me after all._

_The Powers That Be must be lookin’ out for you, kid_.

They started to speak at the same time, words clumsily overlapping each other. They laughed at the absurdity.

Of all places, of all the wrong trains, of all the unfortunate events- everything was leading up to this moment;

Sebastian and Blaine.

After all prior engagements were rescheduled , they found themselves in a corner of a quiet coffeehouse. Warm. Snug. Cozy. Together.

They talked, filling the void the other’s absence had left with words, words, words- with the sound of their voices; something they had been starved of for a whole year.

.

The skies darkened above, escorting the sun down west.

They stood beneath a streetlamp, its glow highlighting the falling flurries. They didn’t feel cold. They felt... brave.

Sometimes, the Universe conspired to give you a hand, nudging a little bravery in your veins.

“I’m sorry,” Blaine whispered, lips trembling from a silent wish of _Please don’t let me be too late._

“I’ve missed you,” Sebastian replied boldly with a smile, allowing his vulnerability to seep past his Devil-May-Care bravado.

 _We can work it out_.

In that moment, a decision was made; bleeding hearts started healing and hand in hand, their feet carried them in no particular direction. But directions didn’t matter now. They were together.

Finally.

 

\--END

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.  
> Comments welcomed.


End file.
